Norman Kendall

Phototherapy of jaundice in the newborn infant. II. Effect of various light intensities

In a controlled study, three types of fluorescent lamps—“daylight”, standard blue, and special narrow-spectrum blue—were compared in respect to their effects on serum bilirubin concentrations of 72 newborn infants with physiologic jaundice. The narrow-spectrum blue lamps, although they were the least luminous, had the highest energy output in the blue region and were the most effective in treating hyperbilirubinemia. The least efficient lamps were of the “daylight” type. A dose-response relationship of visible light to therapeutic effectiveness was demonstrated.

Cephalhematoma associated with fractureof the skull

Summary In a series of 2,774 newborn infants observed over a period of fifteen months, sixty-nine, or 2.49 per cent, of them had a cephalhematoma. Of the sixty-four infants who were examined roentgenographically, sixteen, or 25 per cent, had a fracture of the parietal bone underlying the cephalhematoma In only one instance were symptoms other than the tumefaction observed; these were the result of an associated intracranial hemorrhage. This infant, with a cephalhematoma sufficiently large to produce an anemia, required transfusions of blood. The incidence of cephalhematomas would seem to be greater over the right parietal bone than over the left one and more common in male than in female infants. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that cephalhematomas, with orwithout a fracture of the skull, occurred more often in infants born of primiparous women, with the incidence being higher in infants delivered with forceps than in those delivered spontaneously.

Phototherapy of jaundice in newborn infants. I. ABO blood group incompatibility

A controlled study of phototherapy was carried out in 35 infants with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia due to maternal-fetal ABO blood group incompatibility. Sixteen of the subjects weighed less than 2,500 Gm. at birth, and 19 weighed 2,500 Gm. or more. Phototherapy caused a marked decline of serum bilirubin concentration at a time when such levels were rising in the control infants and prevented mean peak bilirubin concentrations in the treated infants from reaching the levels attained by the control infants. No treated infants required exchange transfusion, but 5 of the control infants did. The heavier skin pigmentation in Negro subjects did not reduce the effectiveness of phototherapy.

Skeletal Changes in Neonatal Thyrotoxicosis

A case of hyperthyroidism in a newborn girl is reported; the bone development was that of a 6-month-old infant. Hyperactivity and exophthalmos were noted.

Acute accidental hypothermia in a newborn infant: case report.

Summary A newborn infant is presented who had acute hypothermia with electrocardiographic changes of complete A-V dissociation and atrial flutter. A mild metabolic acidosis was promptly relieved by the administration of sodium bicarbonate intravenously. Hyperglycemia resulted from the administration of intravenous dextrose, but the blood sugar values returned to normal within 24 hours. The infant responded to gradual warming measures and when last seen at 6 months of age appeared to have progressed normally in respect to mental and physical growth.

Wilson-Mikity syndrome followed by "idiopathic" pulmonary hemosiderosis.

Summary A child is described who, after severe hyaline membrane disease, developed the Wilson-Mikity syndrome and, later, idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis. The question is raised as to whether oxygen toxicity may have been a factor in predisposing this child to these 2 pulmonary disorders.